Catalogue Number
NMLH.2025.18.1
Object Name
medal
Title
'Health Care Assistants Lewisham & Greenwich. UNISON. Christina McAnea'
Place
Greenwich, Lewisham, London, UK
People
UNISON, Greenwich & Lewisham NHS Trust, Christina McAnea
Events
2024 Lewisham & Greenwich Healthcare Assistants strike
Description
A gold coloured round medal. The front says 'Health Care Assistants Lewisham and Greenwich' around the edge. At the centre is an etched image of UNISON leader Christina McAnea with her name beneath it. The reverse explains the purpose of the medal - to mark the successful strike action by the HCAs in 2024.
Health Care Assistants (HCAs) at University Hospital Lewisham, and Queen Elizabeth Hospital undertook two rounds of industrial action in 2024-25 to successfully secure rebanding (a level is assigned to each role in the NHS, which is supposed to be linked to the skill level of the job. Each band has specific pay levels) and back pay to April 2021 to compensate the HCAs in the Trust for "years of working above their pay band". Band 2 (personal care only) workers had for decades been doing Band 3 work (medical tasks like echocardiograms) without appropriate pay. Black HCAs accused the Trust of an âethnicity pay gapâ and striker Jennifer Lang told the Nursing Times, âItâs a predominantly Black [London] borough. Outside of London, where itâs predominantly White, they've all got their back pay and their up-banding without any fuss. Now, we have to fight tooth and nail here, I think, because weâre a predominantly Black borough."
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust denied racism in their pay practices, and eventually agreed to reband the HCAs. Unison General Secretary Christina McAnea presented the strikers with certificates & commemorative medals (this object) on 4-5 March 2025.
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